AND HE TOOK SIX HUNDRED CHOSEN CHARIOTS. R. Jose said that this number corresponded to the number of the Israelites who went on foot-six hundred thousand footmen (EX. 12, 37). The “chosen chariots” were meant as a counterpart to the fighting men, who formed the flower of Israel, while “all the chariots of Egypt” corresponded to the “little ones” of the Israelites. Pharaoh acted entirely on the advice of his sorcerers and magicians. The word “warriors” (shalishim, from shelishi, third) signifies that every chariot contained three warriors, and this was planned with a deep purpose, that they might correspond to the Supernal grades (Sephiroth), which also go in threes (viz. right, left, and intermediary). According to R. Isaac, however, shalishim means simply “supervisors”, as in the Aramaic translation (Targum).
R. Hiya illustrated from the verse, “The Lord shall punish the host of the high ones on high, and the kings of the earth upon the earth” (Isa. 24, 21). ‘When the Holy One’, he said, ‘shows favour unto the celestial representatives of a nation, granting them dominion and power, He deals similarly with the earthly nation which they represent; and when He lessens His favour and diminishes their power above, He does likewise below.’1The last 6 lines of the Hebrew text are omitted from the translation.
(שמות י״ד:ז׳) וַיִּקַּח שֵׁשׁ מֵאוֹת וְגוֹ'. שֵׁשׁ מֵאוֹת אֲמַאי. אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹסֵי, לָקֳבֵל מִנְיָינָא דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל, דִּכְתִּיב כְּשֵׁשׁ מֵאוֹת אֶלֶף רַגְלִי. בָּחוּר: לָקֳבֵל הַגְּבָרִים דְּאִינּוּן עִקָרָא דְּכָל יִשְׂרָאֵל. וְכָל רֶכֶב מִצְרָיִם: שְׁאַר רְתִיכִין, דְּאִינּוּן טְפָלִין לַאֲחוֹרֵי, (נ"א לאחרנין) לָקֳבֵל הַטַּף דִּכְתִּיב לְבַד מִטָּף. וְכֹלָּא עָבִיד בְּעֵיטָא דְּחַרְשׁוֹי וְחַכְמוֹי. וְשָׁלִישִׁים עַל כֻּלּוֹ, כֹּלָּא בְּחָכְמְתָא, לָקֳבֵל דַּרְגִּין עִלָּאִין, תְּרֵין וְחָד. ר' יִצְחָק אָמַר, כְּתַרְגּוּמוֹ, וּמְזָרְזִין. זְרִיזִין הֲווֹ בְּכֹלָּא.
AND HE TOOK SIX HUNDRED CHOSEN CHARIOTS. R. Jose said that this number corresponded to the number of the Israelites who went on foot-six hundred thousand footmen (EX. 12, 37). The “chosen chariots” were meant as a counterpart to the fighting men, who formed the flower of Israel, while “all the chariots of Egypt” corresponded to the “little ones” of the Israelites. Pharaoh acted entirely on the advice of his sorcerers and magicians. The word “warriors” (shalishim, from shelishi, third) signifies that every chariot contained three warriors, and this was planned with a deep purpose, that they might correspond to the Supernal grades (Sephiroth), which also go in threes (viz. right, left, and intermediary). According to R. Isaac, however, shalishim means simply “supervisors”, as in the Aramaic translation (Targum).
וַיִּקַּח שֵׁשׁ מֵאוֹת רֶכֶב בָּחוּר. ר' חִיָּיא אָמַר, כְּתִיב (ישעיהו כ״ד:כ״א) יִפְקוֹד יְיָ' עַל צְבָא הַמָּרוֹם בַּמָּרוֹם וְעַל מַלְכֵי הָאֲדָמָה עַל הָאֲדָמָה. בְּזִמְנָא דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא יָהִיב שֻׁלְטָנוּתָא לְרַבְרְבֵי עַמִּין לְעֵילָּא, יָהִיב לְהוּ לְעַמָּא דִּלְהוֹן לְתַתָּא. וּבְשַׁעֲתָא דְּנָחִית לוֹן מִדַּרְגֵּיהוֹן דִּלְעֵילָּא, נָחִית לוֹן לְעַמָּא לְתַתָּא, וַיִּקַּח שֵׁשׁ מֵאוֹת רֶכֶב בָּחוּר, הָא מְמָנָא דִּלְהוֹן, וְאוּקְמוּהָ, דְּדָבַר רְתִיכִין דִּשְׁאַר עַמִּין, וְכֻלְּהוּ נָפְלוּ בְּמַשְׁרִיתָא דְּסִיסְרָא לְבָתַר וְהַיְינוּ בָּחוּר (נ"א ולבתר) וְכֹל רֶכֶב מִצְרָיִם.
R. Hiya illustrated from the verse, “The Lord shall punish the host of the high ones on high, and the kings of the earth upon the earth” (Isa. 24, 21). ‘When the Holy One’, he said, ‘shows favour unto the celestial representatives of a nation, granting them dominion and power, He deals similarly with the earthly nation which they represent; and when He lessens His favour and diminishes their power above, He does likewise below.’1The last 6 lines of the Hebrew text are omitted from the translation.
כְּתִיב (שיר השירים א׳:ט׳) לְסֻסָתִי בְּרִכְבֵי פַרְעֹה דִּמִּיתִיךְ רַעְיָתִי. תָּא חֲזֵי, כְּדוּגְמַת סוּסְיָא נוּקְבָּא, אִתְחָזֵי לְהוֹן לְסוּסֵיהוֹן דְּפַרְעֹה, וְאוּקְמוּהָ. אֶלָּא לְסוּסָּתִי בְּרִכְבֵי פַרְעֹה, תָּא חֲזֵי, פַּרְעֹה בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּהֲוָה רָדִיף אֲבָתְרַיְיהוּ דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל, מַה עָבֵד, נָטַל סוּסְוָון נוּקְבָן, וְכָפַת לוֹן בִּרְתִּיכוֹי בְּקַדְמִיתָא, וְסוּסִין דּוּכְרָאֵי כָּפַת לוֹן לַאֲחוֹרֵיהוֹן, וַהֲווּ מְזַיְּינִין דּוּכְרֵי לָקֳבֵל נוּקְבֵי, וְנוּקְבֵי לָא בָּעָאן, וְאוֹחָן לְמֵיזָל. כֵּיוָן דְּקָרִיב (נ"א וכד אדביק) לְגַבַּיְיהוּ דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל, נָטַל נוּקְבֵי וְשַׁוֵּי לוֹן לַאֲחוֹרֵי, וְסוּסְוָון דּוּכְרִין לְקַדְמִין, לְאַבְאָשָׁא לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, וּלְאַגָּחָא בְּהוּ קְרָבָא.
כְּגַוְונָא דָּא, וַיְיָ' הוֹלֵךְ לִפְנֵיהֶם יוֹמָם, וּבָתַר חָזְרָה שְׁכִינְתָּא לַאֲחוֹרֵיהוֹן דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל, דִּכְתִּיב וַיִּסַּע מַלְאַךְ הָאֱלהִים וְגוֹ'. בְּגִינֵי כַּךְ דִּמִּיתִיךְ רַעְיָתִי.